Escape-valve.



J. D. BROWSE, Jn.

ESCAPE VALVE. y

APPLICATION FILED 0013.14. 1909.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

ATTUHNEYS tion, in

l UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN DANIEL BROWER,

Specification of Letters Iiatent.

an., or PACIFIC Gnovn, cntrronnni. f

Patented oet. 1o,` 1911.

Application led October 14, 1909. Serial No. 522,556.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOI-LN D. Bnownn, J r., a citizen of the United' States, and a resident of Pacific Grove, in the county of Monterey and State of California, have -invented a newand Improved Escape-Valve, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to escape valves for' use in connection with water mains and the like, to permit the escape of air or gas from the main when water or other fluid is allowed to enter the same, and relates more particularly to a device of this class comprising a main valve adapted to control the escape of the gas or air from the main, and an auxiliary valve controlling the. main valve, and itself operable by the liquid in the main or conduit.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and durable escape valve for controlling the iiow of air or gas from water mains and the like, which is so constructed that the parts thereof are easily accessible for adjustment or repair, which permits the escape of air or gas from mains or other conduits when water or other liquid flows into the same, which will open when the water or other liquid recedes, obviates the possibility of water hammers, due to the premature closing of the valve.`

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.-

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specificawhich the ligure is a partial `lon i" tudinal section of my invention, showing t e same associated with a water main.

Before proceeding to a more ldetailed explanation of my invention, it should be clearly understood that while it is particularly useful in connection with the mains' of water supply, systems, it can also be advan-V tageously employed with other conduits for v fluid,.which it is desired to free from air or as when the fluid enters the same. When the'uid is turned into an empty conduit it naturally forces the air or gas in the conduit to the-upper parts ofthe same.- Water systems and the like are usually-provided with escape valves to permit to iiow out of the conduits, vancing liquid, and which liquid ltse f.

before the adare closed by the and l which said headv being tapered 14 is gradually closed when the valve 1s' tially the air` or gas It has been found however,1

that the rst rush of the liquid will com.- press such air as cannot escape and the compressed air will prematurely seatthe valve and thus prevent the froml escaping.

Again, the valves often remain seated when the liquid recedes if somel pressure obtains in the main, with the consequence that water hammers result. My invention is designed to overcome these difficulties, and to effect this purpose Iemploy an auxiliary valve which controls the main entire quantity of air4 valve and whichfitself is directly operable by the liquid in the main, more clearlyhereinafter. The device can be fashioned from any suitable material, though .I prefer to employ a non-corrosive metal.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have shown for example, 10 having associated therewith a stand pipe 11, which at the upper end'has an elbow 12 communicating with the escape valve casing 13 and secured to the stand pipe in the usual manner.- The escape valve casing at the top has an outlet opening 14::'protected by a hood 15 provided wlth outlets v16. A plunger or valvey member 17 is slidably vlocated under the outlet opening 14 in a preferably cylindrical slideway 1.8 of the valve casing, and is adapted to rest against the valve seat 19 formed under the o to close the same. partly threaded valve stem 20- extends through an. opening in the valvemember 17 and has a tapered head 21 at the other side of the valve member, which serves to hold in place the valve member face 22 of rubber, Babbitt-metal or -the like, so that the outlet operated. y v

The casing has 'an extension 23 into which the valve stem can move through a guide opening 24. vof the casing adjacent to the opening 24, permit the free movement of the valve stem. The valve casing has an-inlet 26. to the valve chamber, from the elbow,

VThe valve casing .located a plunger 28 constituting an auxiliary valve and having a reduced end 29 adapted to close an auxiliary valve passage 30 which communicates with the space-under the valve member a water main ening, so that it serves Apertures 25 in the wallV as will appear which is substanannular and extends preferably `around the cylindrical guideway 18.

has a cylindrical casing.

17, and cooperates with an inlet 31 through'which liquid can enter from the elbow 12 to force ther valve member 17 upward againstthe valve seat. The passage 30 at the side of the auxiliary valve remote from the main valve has an outlet 32.-

A lever 33 is pivotally mounted by means of a suitable bracketm34 upon the hood 15 and at one end carries an adjustable counterpoilse 35 mounted upon ,the lever by means of an arm 36, and having a set screw f 37. A pivoted link 38 operatively connects outlet 41 connected respectively,

vIn the normal position of the parts, they reservoir 39 being empty, the counterpoise 35 holds the lever, 33 depressed at the free end so that the auxiliary valve.v 28 isk elevated and the passage 30 is unobstructed.

The main valve is open, so that when fluid enters the main, the air can be expelled through the stand pipe l1, the inlet 26, the

outlet 14, and the openings 16. As the pas-- sage 30 is unobstructed, the air escaping fromthe stand pipe cannot raise the main valve to close the outlet 14. liquid however, reaches a level such that the ,reservoir is filled-,the weight of the filled reservoirl overbalances that of the counteri Y poise, and the lever 33 is operated to close the auxiliaryvalve.'

As is well knownt, when air or other gas under pressure escapes from al container 'through 'a comparatively small vorilice, it

f tends to vproducea vacuum at the outside of the orice. Consequently, the -pressure within the container is substantially in excessl of that at the outside of the orifice. Upon this action depends the operation of my valve. The gas or air escaping through the orice 26 tends to create a vacuum at the upper side of the valve body 17. Consequently', the pressure within the elbow 12 is considerably inexcess of that within the valve casing at the other side of the open-v ing 26. Therefore-When the plunger 28 is depressed to close the passage 33, the pressure under the valve member 27, which is equal to that in the elbow 12, exceeds the pressure above the valve member 17, and.

the latter is, therefore raised and the outlet is closed.

Having thus described my invention, I` Yclaim as new,

and 1desire to secureby Letters Patent y 1. A device of the class described, comprising amain valve adaptedl to control the When the escape of air from a conduit and adapted to be closed by pressure in the conduit, and an auxiliary'valve adapted to prevent the closing of said main valve, and adapted to be rendered inoperative by the liquid in the conduit remote from said auxiliary valve.

2. A device ofl the lclass described, comprising a main valve adapted to control the escape of air from a conduit, and an auxil. llary valve controlling said main valve, and operable by the rise of liquid in said conduit to a predetermined level below the level of said auxiliary valve.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a main valve adapted to control the escape of air from a conduit, an auxiliary valve controlling said main valve, and a reservoir adapted to be lled with` liquidvv from the conduit, and controlling said auxiliary valve. v 4. A device of the class described, comprising va valve casing having an outlet opening, a main valve controlling said outlet opening, a conduit communicating with said casing, an auxiliary valve in said cas- ;ing and controlling said main valve, and a :movable reservoir controlllng said auxiliary valve.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a casing adapted to communicate with a conduit, and formed to have air from said conduit escape therethrough, a main )valve in said casing controlling the flow of .air therethrough, said casing having a passage whereby liquid ventering said passage 'serves to close said main valve, an auxiliary .valve controlling said passage, and a movable reservoir .adapted to be filled with liquid from the conduit, and controlling said auxiliary valve.

6. A device of the class described, com-` prising a casing adapted to 'communicate wlth a conduit, and formed to have air from said conduit escape therethrough, a main valve in said casing controlling the llow of air therethrough, said casing having a 'passage whereby liquid enterin said passage serves to c lose said main va? ve, an auxiliary valve controlling said passage, a movable reservoir adapted to be filled with liquidv from the conduit and controlling said auxiliary valve, and a counter-weight operatively connected with said auxiliary valve and saidy reservoir, whereby said auxlinlry valve is closed when said reservoir is 7. Adevice of the class described, comprisl ing a valve casing having an outlet opening, a mam valve controlling said outlet opening, a conduit communicatin `with said casing,

an auxiliary valve in sai casing, and a movable reservoir controlling sald auxiliary valve, guided to move in said casing and provided with a tapered head, whereby sald main said main valve having a valve stem valve serves to close said outlet opening gradually. Y

8. A device of the class described, comprising a. valve casing, a main valve movably arranged therein, said valve easin having an outlet opening controlled by sai( main valve, said casing havin passages whereby lluid can enter said casing at both sides of said main valve, and an auxiliary valve for eonti'ollin r one of said passages.

l). A. device of t ie'. class described, comprising a 'valve easing, amain valve movably arranget'l therein, said valve casing having an outlet opening controlled by said main valve, said casing. having assages wherebfy lluid can enter said casing at both sides o said main valve., an auxiliary valve for controlling one of said passages, a movable reservoir adapted to be filled with liquid, a pivoted 'lever operatively connected with said reservoir and said auxiliary valve, and a `countcrpoise upon said lever.,

10. A device of the class described, coniprising a casing adapted to communicate with a conduit and having an outlet, a main valve, slidably arranged within said easing and adapted to close said outlet opening, said casing having passages giving access to both sides of said mainvalve, van auxiliary valve sldably located in said casing and ada. itcd to obstruct one of said passages sai( inain valve having a valve stem, sai easing having means for iiding said valve stem, ai'eservoir arrange to move and having an inlet and an outlet, means for flexibly connecting said inlet and said outlet of said reservoir with a conduit, a lever pivoted 'uponsaid easingfa link connecting said lever and said auxiliary valve, anda link connectin r said lever and said reservoir.

1l. A 't evice of the class described, coiii-v )rising a stand pipe, a casing communicating therewith and having a valve chamber and an outletopening irovided with a valve seat, a4 main valve siidablein said valve chamber and adapted to rest against. said valve. seat vsaid main valve having a stem guided within said easing and provided with a tala-.red head, whereby said main 4valve serves to close said opening gradually, said casing having passages above and below said main valve, an auxiliary valve for closing said passage under said main valve, a lever pivotally mounted upon said easing, a reservoir having an inletl and an outlet, flexible connections between said inlet' and said outlet and said stand pi e, a link eonnectin said reservoir and sai lever, a second '1in connectin f said auxiliary valve and' said lever an an adjustable counterpoise upon said lever.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name tor this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.l

J OllN DANIEL BROWER, J n. Witnesses: Y

ELM im Gsoiics BRUA, TiioMAs FARWELL Rooms. 

